Chelsea Suffer Major Cole Palmer Injury Setback Ahead of Liverpool Clash

Chelsea have been dealt a significant blow with manager Enzo Maresca confirming that Cole Palmer will be sidelined for several weeks due to a groin injury.

The England international was forced off during the first half of last weekend’s Premier League defeat to Manchester United and was later spotted with ice strapped to his groin after taking his place on the bench.

Palmer has struggled with the issue throughout the season, and Maresca revealed on Friday that the club will now take a cautious approach with his recovery.

“We decided to protect Cole in terms of preventing his injury from getting worse,” the Chelsea boss said. “We’ve chosen to rest him for the next two or three weeks before the international break, to give him the chance to recover fully and be 100 per cent fit afterwards. I don’t think he’ll need surgery – it’s a matter of managing his pain in the groin. With the amount of games, it’s something that can happen.”

Chelsea travel to Brighton this weekend in the Premier League but will be without several key players. Maresca confirmed that defender Tosin Adarabioyo will also miss out with a calf injury and is not expected to return until after the international break.

Meanwhile, Wesley Fofana will remain unavailable for the same period after sustaining a concussion during the midweek Carabao Cup victory over Lincoln City.

“We have Tosin injured, and he’ll probably be out until the international break – it’s a small problem in his calf,” Maresca explained. “Wes Fofana had concussion against Lincoln. The rest are okay. Romeo [Lavia] and Benoît [Badiashile] are improving, and we will see if they can join us tomorrow.”

Chelsea’s squad depth will once again be tested as they look to bounce back domestically before facing Liverpool in their next major league fixture.